Data input device, systems using the device, and methods for operating such systems

ABSTRACT

A data storage device  5  having a storage capacity of at least 8 Mbyte is surrounded by a housing including a stylus portion  23 , having a tip  25  for indicating a position. The stylus permits the data storage device  5  to be used for data entry to a electronic device  19  such as a PDA which traces the position of the stylus tip. The data storage device  5  can be used in place of a conventional stylus. Thus, the user of the electronic device  19  which traces the position of a stylus is able to enjoy the advantages of a data storage device without being obliged to use an additional component.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a data input device for inputting datato a computer system, and to methods of operating it. The data inputdevice is further arranged to have a data storage function.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Recently there has been great interest in providing data storage devicesusing which a user is able to transfer data between components of acomputer system, or between computer systems.

For example, one of the present inventors has proposed in PCTapplication PCT/SG01/00136, published as WO 03/003141, entitled “Methodand devices for data transfer” (the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference) a data storage device for use in a computer systemincluding a computer device and one or more other external electronicdevices. The external devices are of the type referred to as “slavedevices”, and examples of such electronic devices include a camera, avideo camera, a organiser, an MP3 player, or a PDA (personal assistant).The data storage device includes a wireless transceiver (transducer) forreceiving data (which the data storage device stores), and fortransmitting data stored within it. The computer device too, and each ofthe other electronic devices, includes a respective wireless transducer.Thus, the data storage device can be used for transferring data betweenthe computer device and the various external devices. Since the storagedevice is substantially devoted to storage of data, it can accommodate amemory which is larger than in most other portable electronic items.Furthermore, since the data transfer is wireless, physical connectors(such as cables, sockets and plugs) are not required, so data can betransferred within the computer system despite the very large number ofexisting standards for physical connectors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Although the data storage device proposed in PCT/SG01/00136 has provedpractically useful, it constitutes an additional element which a user ofthe computer system has to obtain and use (e.g. to carry around when thecomputer system is to be transported).

The present invention aims to provide a new and useful data storagedevice.

In general terms, the invention proposes that the data storage deviceshould be shaped in the form of a stylus, that is having a tip forindicating a position. The stylus permits the device to be used for dataentry to a electronic device which measures the position of the stylustip (e.g. a device having a touch sensitive surface). Thus, the datastorage device can be used in place of a conventional stylus. In otherwords, a user of an electronic device which traces the position of astylus is able to enjoy the advantages of a wireless memory storagedevice without being obliged to use an additional component.

Specifically, a first expression of the invention is a data storagedevice having:

-   -   a non-volatile memory of at least 8 Mbyte,    -   a wireless transceiver for transmitting and receiving data;    -   a control processor for storing data received by the wireless        transceiver in the memory, and for extracting data from the        memory and transmitting it to the wireless transceiver for        transmission; and    -   a housing having an outer profile including a stylus portion        defining a tip.

Preferably, the data storage device further includes at least onebiometric sensor for recording a biometric characteristic of a user, anda verification processor for comparing the biometric characteristic witha characteristic stored by the sensor, the verification processorcontrolling whether the data storage device performs at least one of itsfunctions in dependence upon whether the recorded biometriccharacteristic matches the stored characteristic.

For example, the biometric sensor may be a fingerprint sensor, and thedata storage device may include a verification processor arranged tocompare a fingerprint received by the fingerprint sensor with a storedfingerprint.

Preferably, the data storage device only transmits data stored within itwhen the verification processor determines that there is a match betweenthe recorded biometric characteristic and the stored characteristic.

Note that it is not indispensable to the invention that the verificationprocessor and control processor are physically different units. Theverification processor and the control processor may, if desired, bedifferent functions of a single integrated circuit (master controlunit). Alternatively, any other number of integrated circuits may beused to implement together the function of the control processor andverification processor.

The device may include the capability to compress/decompress data whichis to be stored, or has been stored, in the non-volatile memory. Thiscan be implemented by the processor which stores data into and retrievesdata from the non-volatile memory, or alternatively by a dedicatedmicroprocessor unit.

The device may be integrated with an image capturing device (camera) forgenerating data which can be stored in the non-volatile memory, andsubsequently transmitted through the wireless transceiver.

The device may incorporate at least one smart card, for providing atleast one enhanced security feature.

A second expression of the invention is a system including a datastorage device as described above, and a first electronic device whichis arranged to register the position of the stylus of the data storagedevice, so that the user can enter data to the first electronic deviceby moving the stylus, the first electronic device further including awireless transceiver for exchanging data with the data storage device.

The first electronic device may for example have a surface, and meansfor detecting the movement of the stylus over the surface. For example,the surface may be touch sensitive.

One possibility is for the first electronic device to be a tablet PC, anorganiser or a PDA (personal assistant).

In addition to the first electronic device, the system may comprise oneor more further electronic devices which include respective wirelesstransceivers for exchanging data with the data storage device. Thus, thedata storage device may be arranged as a “bridge”, which can be used tostore data received from a first of the electronic devices andsubsequently to transmit that data to a second of the electronic devices(optionally with some processing of the data within the data storagedevice, such as an encoding operation).

Preferably, the system is a computer system, in which one of theelectronic devices is a PC, and other of the electronic devices are“slave devices” of the PC, such as the PDA.

Each of the wireless transceivers preferably operates by electromagneticwaves, and most preferably by RF or infra-red waves. In the former case,the transceiver may consist of an antenna and RF interface circuitry.Irrespective of the wireless waves employed, the transceiver may use anyprotocol presently in existence or which may become available in thefuture, for example it may be capable of sending and/or receivingsignals in at least one of (i) IEEE802.11, (ii) Bluetooth, or (iii)irDA.

It is also possible that the data storage device may be capable ofreceiving/transmitting in multiple formats, so that it can interpretbetween two slave devices which use different formats.

Preferably, any of the electronic devices which includes an internalmemory is arranged, upon that internal memory becoming full, or at leastthe amount of data passing a predefined limit, to initiate communicationwith the data storage device, so that the data can be transferred to thedata storage device.

Preferably all communications carried out by the data storage deviceinclude a process of establishing the identity of the other device(computer device or slave device) using an ID code received from thatdevice and compared with list of ID codes stored internally by the datastorage device.

A third expression of the invention is a method of transferring databetween a data storage device of the kind discussed above and anotherelectronic device which incorporates means for tracking the position ofthe tip of the stylus, the method including at least one of theoperations of:

-   -   (i) a transceiver of the other electronic device transmitting        the data wirelessly to the transceiver of the data storage        device, or    -   (ii) the transceiver of the data storage device transmitting the        data wirelessly to the transceiver of the data storage device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Preferred features of the invention will now be described, for the sakeof illustration only, with reference to the following figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a computer system including data storagedevice which is a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2, which is composed of FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b), is schematic views ofthe data storage device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the steps performed by the data storage device in a firstmethod employing the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the steps performed by the data storage device in a secondmethod employing the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows the steps performed by the data storage device in a thirdmethod employing the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows the processes of FIG. 4 or 5 from the point of view of auser;

FIG. 7 shows schematically a side view of a data storage device which isa second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 shows the internal construction of the embodiment of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a system embodying the invention includes a PC 1having an antenna 3. The system also includes a data storage device 5,having an antenna 37 (not shown in FIG. 1). The system further includesa plurality of electronic (“slave”) devices 9, 19 which are external tothe computer device 1 and spatially separated from it, but which mayusefully communicate data to and/or from the PC 1. Each external device9, 19 has an antenna 11. For simplicity only two slave devices 9, 19 areillustrated in FIG. 1. The data storage device 5 and each of theexternal devices 9, 19 are portable. For example, their weight ispreferably less than 1 kilogram each, and each preferably includes aninternal power source such as a battery.

The PC 1 and the data storage device 5 can communicate using the antenna3 and the antenna of the data storage device 5. Similarly, the datastorage device 5 and the external devices 9, 19 can communicate usingthe antenna of the data storage device 5 and the antennas 11. Both formsof communication may be using any of the communication protocolsIEEE802.11, Bluetooth, irDA, etc. As described below, any of the slavedevices 9, 19 can send data selectively to the PC 1 or to any of theother slave devices 9, 19 via the data storage device 5. The PC 1 cansend data to a selected one of the slave devices 9, 19 via the datastorage device. All of this communication is digital, and the datastorage device 5 is for digital data. In addition, it is possible thatthe data may be sent in an encrypted form.

Note that at least one (and possibly all) of the slave devices 9, 19 maynot require two-way communication with other slave devices 9, 19 or thePC 1. For example, in the case of a slave device 9 which is a digitalcamera, the data transmitted via the master storage device 5 may largely(or exclusively) be from the digital camera to the PC 1.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the construction of the data storage device 5 isshown, respectively as a side view (FIG. 2( a)) and as a block diagram(FIG. 2( b)).

The device 5 includes an outer housing including a stylus portion 23having a tip 25. The antenna of the device 5 is not shown, but ispreferably provided at or proximate the end of the device 5 which isopposite from the stylus portion 23 (i.e. at the other end of thehousing). The exterior surface of the housing includes a fingerprintsensor 27 having a surface 29 which is substantially plush with thehousing. When a user applies his finger to the surface 29, thefingerprint is recorded.

The interior of the data storage device 5 includes a data storage module31, a microcontroller (master control unit) 33 in two-way communicationwith the data storage module 31 and with the fingerprint sensor 27. Themicrocontroller 5 is further in communication with a transceiver 35comprising an antenna 37 and RF interface circuitry 39. The transceiver35 is arranged for receiving an RF signal by the antenna 37, and toextract digital data from it in the RF interface circuitry 39, whichpasses the data to the microcontroller 33, which stores it in thestorage module 31. When the data storage device 5 is to transmit data,the microcontroller 33 issues a signal to the storage module 31 whichtransmits data stored within it to the microcontroller 33, which thenpasses the data to the transceiver 35 for transmission.

Optionally, the operations of the data storage device 5 (and inparticular the operation of transmitting data via the transceiver 35)are only enabled in the case that fingerprint sensor 27 has recorded afingerprint, transmitted it as fingerprint data to the microcontroller33, and the microcontroller has compared that fingerprint data to datapre-stored in the storage module 31 (or in some other memory, which isnot shown).

The memory capacity of storage module 31 of the data storage device 5may for example be at least 8 MB, at least 1 GB, at least 10 GB, or atleast 20 GB. The storage module 31 of the storage device 5 can be, forexample, a magnetic disk drive or any other suitable non-volatile datastorage device, such as an electrically erasable programmable read onlymemory (EEPROM), a ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), amagetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), or any other data storagedevice which may become available in the future.

Turning to FIG. 3, a method using the system of FIG. 1 is shown. In thismethod, the data storage device 5 receives and stores data from one ofthe slave devices 9, 19. Initially, the data storage device 5 is in awaiting state 41. In step 43, the transceiver 35 receives data via theantenna 37 from the other of the devices 9, 19, and passes it to themicrocontroller 33.

In step 45, the microcontroller 33 uses the fingerprint sensor 27 toverify the finger print of a user holding it. If the measuredfingerprint does not match the fingerprint data stored in the storagemodule 31, an error message is generated in step 47, and the devicereturns to the waiting state 41.

Otherwise, in step 49, the device verifies an ID (password) of the slavedevice from the data it received (e.g. comparing the ID encoded in thedata with an ID stored in a list in the storage module 31). If thisverification process fails, the device moves to step 47. Otherwise, thedevice passes to step 51 in which the microcontroller 33 creates adirectory in the storage module 31, and step 53 in which the devicecontinues to receive data from the slave device 9, 19 and stores it inthe storage module 31.

Turning to FIG. 4, a second method using the system of FIG. 1 is shown.In this method, the data storage device 5 receives and stores data fromthe PC 1. Initially, the data storage device 5 is in a waiting state 61.In step 63, the transceiver 35 (and thus the microcontroller 33)receives a write request via the antenna 37 from the PC 1 indicatingthat the user of the PC has used a touch screen, keyboard or mouse inputdevice to signal that data is to be written from the PC 1 to the memorydevice 5. The receipt of this request also initiates the next processstep 65.

In step 65, the microcontroller 33 uses the fingerprint sensor 27 toverify the finger print of a user holding it. If the measuredfingerprint does not match the fingerprint data stored in the storagemodule 31, an error message is generated in step 67, and the devicereturns to the waiting state 61.

Otherwise, in step 69, the device verifies an ID of the PC 1 within thewrite request it received (e.g. comparing a ID encoded in the requestwith an ID stored in the list in the storage module 31). If thisverification process fails, the device moves to step 67. Otherwise, thedevice passes to step 71 in which the microcontroller 33 receives datafrom the PC 1 using the transceiver 35, and step 73 in which themicrocontroller 33 stores the data in the storage module 31.

Turning to FIG. 5, a third method using the system of FIG. 1 is shown.In this method, the data storage device 5 transmits data to the PC 1.Initially, the data storage device 5 is in a waiting state 81. In step83, the transceiver 35 receives a read request via the antenna 37 fromthe PC 1 indicating that the user of the PC has used a touch screen,keyboard or mouse input device to signal that data is to be written tothe PC 1 from the memory device 5. The receipt of this request alsoinitiates the next process step 85.

In step 85, the microcontroller 33 uses the fingerprint sensor 27 toverify the finger print of a user holding it. If the measuredfingerprint does not match the fingerprint data stored in the storagemodule 31, an error message is generated in step 87, and the devicereturns to the waiting state 81.

Otherwise, in step 89, the device verifies an ID of the PC 1 within therequest it received (e.g. comparing a ID encoded in the request with anID stored in the list in the storage module 31). If this verificationprocess fails, the device moves to step 87. Otherwise, the device passesto step 91 in which the microcontroller 33 receives data from storagemodule 31, and in step 93 sends it to the PC 1 using the transceiver 35.

A process very similar to that shown in FIG. 5 occurs in the case thatdata is to be transmitted to one of the slave devices. It differs inthat step 83 is replaced by a step in which the storage device 5receives a read request from the slave device and passes it to themicrocontroller 33, step 89 is replaced by a step in which the identityof the slave device is confirmed using an ID of the slave device, andstep 93 is replaced by a step in which the data is transmitted by thetransceiver 35 to the slave device.

FIGS. 4 and 5 showed the process of transferring data between the datastorage device 5 and the PC 1 from the point of view of the device 5.However, referring to FIG. 6, these processes are shown from the pointof view of a user.

In step 101, a user brings the stylus close to the PC, within the rangeof their respective transceivers 3, 35. In step 103, a pop-up messageappears on the screen of the PC asking the user to verify his identityby placing his finger on the sensor 27 of the stylus 5.

In step 105, a determination is made by the microcontroller 33 ofwhether there is a match. If not, in step 107 the user is invited toretry, or terminate the attempt.

Otherwise in step 109, the operating system of the PC (or other hostsystem) is configured to recognise an external drive (corresponding tothe storage module 31), and in step 110 the user can read or writeto/from the storage module 31 of the stylus 5 by the touch screen,keyboard or mouse.

In addition to these functions, the user is additionally able to enterdata into a electronic device such as the PDA 19 which is able to tracethe movements of the tip 25 of the stylus portion 23. The way in whichthe electronic device 19 tracks the position of the tip 25 may beaccording to any known technique, or any which may become available inthe future. For example, it may be by providing a touch sensitivesurface 15 on the PDA 19, so that the user can stroke this surface withthe tip 25. Alternatively, the position of the tip 25 may for example bedetected by a sonar or radar technique. The user thus has all thefunctionality available from the stylus of any known system, in additionto the data storage capacity of the data storage device 5.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of a data storage device according tothe invention. Items of FIG. 7 corresponding to those of FIG. 2( a) aregiven reference numerals 100 higher. The data storage deviceincorporates a digital camera device 140 within the same housing. Thedigital camera device 140 is capable of taking images (still images,and/or in certain versions of the embodiment moving images). The devicemay also include a sound receiving device (microphone) 142 capable ofrecording audio sound.

The functional structure of the second embodiment is as shown in FIG. 8.Elements corresponding to those of FIG. 2( b) are given referencenumerals 100 higher. Data representing the images and/or sound capturedby the camera 140 and microphone 142 are stored by the micro-controller133 in the memory 131. As in the first embodiment, RF interfacecircuitry is provided, for receiving data from and transmitting data toan antenna 37.

Note that the device preferably has all the functionality of the firstembodiment. That is, it is able to receive data via the aerial 137,store it in the memory unit 131, and then re-transmit it, so that inthis way the data storage device can transfer data among a plurality ofdevices.

A further possible enhancement of both of the first and secondembodiments of the invention is that they may be provided with thecapability to compress data which is to be stored in the memory units31, 131. This is related to the concept discussed in PCT patentapplication “System and Apparatus for Compressing and Decompressing DataStored to a Portable Data Storage Device”, PCT/SG02/00086, filed 13 May2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference. The compression algorithm may for example be stored in a ROMmemory and uploaded into the processors 33, 133 and performed there.Alternatively, the device may contain a separate compression engine (notshown).

Optionally, in addition to data compression, the portable storage deviceis arranged to decompress the data before transmitting out of thedevice. Again this may be performed by the processors 33, 133, or by adecompression engine, which may in fact by the same microprocessor asthe compression engine.

Another possible enhancement of both of the first and second embodimentsof the invention is that the device may include some form of “smartcard”, to provide one or more additional security functions, e.g. todetect some improper usage of the device and, upon this detection, toalter the functioning of the device, for example to inhibit thetransmission of data from the memory modules 31, 131 (or indeed todelete all data stored there).

Many forms of smart card are known, including for example cards whichcan sense that the housing of the device has been opened, and cardswhich contain identity information. Optionally, for example, thefingerprint sensing described above can be implemented using the smartcard.

Note that, although the invention has been described above withreference to only two embodiments, many further variations are possiblewithin the scope of the invention as will be clear to a skilled reader.For example, it is possible for the data storage device 5 to include aphysical interface allowing it to be connected to another electronicdevice or apparatus allowing data to be transmitted into or out of thedata storage device respectively from or to the other electronic devicevia the physical interface. For example, the physical interface may be aplug, such as a USB plug or a Firewire plug, which can be directlyconnected to a socket in the other electronic device.

Also, the data storage device 5 need not be limited to use within asingle computer system, but may be used to transfer data betweendifferent computer systems, each of which may have one or morerespective PCs and each of which may have one or more slave devices.

1. A data storage electronic device having: a non-volatile memory of atleast 8Mbyte, a wireless transceiver for transmitting and receivingfirst data; a control processor operable to store in the non-volatilememory the first data received by the wireless transceiver, to extractthe first data from the memory and to transmit the first data to thewireless transceiver for transmission; and a housing having an outerprofile including a stylus portion defining a tip, wherein the datastorage electronic device is operable to receive wirelessly the firstdata from a second electronic device outside of the data storageelectronic device, and to transmit wirelessly the stored first data tothe second electronic device, the second electronic device initiatingthe transmission to and from the data storage electronic device.
 2. Thedata storage electronic device according to claim 1, further comprisingat least one biometric sensor operable to record a biometriccharacteristic of a user, and a verification processor operable tocompare the biometric characteristic with a characteristic stored by thebiometric sensor, the verification processor controlling whether thedata storage electronic device performs at least one of its functions independence upon whether the recorded biometric characteristic matchesthe stored characteristic.
 3. The data storage electronic deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the biometric sensor is a fingerprintsensor, and the data storage electronic device includes a verificationprocessor arranged to compare a fingerprint received by the fingerprintsensor with a stored fingerprint.
 4. The data storage electronic deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the data storage electronic device isoperable to transmit the first data stored only when the verificationprocessor determines that there is a match between the recordedbiometric characteristic and the stored characteristic.
 5. The datastorage electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the data storageelectronic device is integrated with a camera device, the camera devicebeing arranged to capture, as image data, data representing an image andto store the image data in the non-volatile memory.
 6. The data storageelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control processor isoperable to perform a compression algorithm to compress the first datastored in the non-volatile memory.
 7. The data storage electronic deviceaccording to claim 1, further including a smart card operable to performat least one security function in relation to the first data stored inthe non-volatile memory.
 8. A system comprising: (i) data storageelectronic device having: a non-volatile memory of at least 8Mbyte, awireless transceiver for transmitting and receiving first data; acontrol processor operable to store in the non-volatile memory the firstdata received by the wireless transceiver, to extract the first datafrom the memory and to transmit the first data to the wirelesstransceiver for transmission; and a housing having an outer profileincluding a stylus portion defining a tip; and (ii) another electronicdevice having means to trace a position of the tip of the stylus, and awireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless transceiver ofthe data storage electronic device; whereby the other electronic data isoperable to receive the first data entered by a user movement of thestylus such that the position of the stylus is traced by the otherelectronic device and the first data is communicated between the otherelectronic device and the data storage electronic device via therespective transceivers, wherein the system is arranged such that theother electronic device is operable by the user movement of the stylussuch that the other electronic device traces the position of the tip ofthe stylus to initiate both the wireless transmission of the data fromthe other electronic device to the portable data storage electronicdevice for storage therein and the wireless transmission from theportable data storage electronic device of data stored therein to theother electronic device.
 9. The system according to claim 8, wherein theother electronic device includes a surface, and a detection unitoperable to detect the movement of the stylus over the surface.
 10. Thesystem according to claim 9, wherein the surface is touch sensitive. 11.The system according to claim 8, wherein the other electronic device isan organiser or a PDA (personal digital assistant).
 12. The systemaccording to claim 8, comprising one or more further electronic deviceswhich each include a wireless transceiver operable to exchange the firstdata with the data storage electronic device.
 13. The system accordingto claim 12, wherein the other electronic devices is a PC, and one ofthe one or more further electronic devices is a slave device of the PC.14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the storage device isoperable to receive and to transmit in multiple formats, whereby thedata storage electronic device interprets between the other electronicdevice and the one or more further electronic devices which usedifferent formats.
 15. The system according to claim 12, wherein allcommunications carried out by the data storage electronic device withthe other electronic device and the one or more further electronicdevices include a process of establishing an identity of the otherelectronic device or the one or more further electronic devices using anID code received from that device by the data storage electronic deviceand compared with a list of ID codes stored internally by the datastorage device.
 16. The system according to claim 8, wherein each of thewireless transceivers operates by electromagnetic waves and includes anantenna and RF interface circuitry.
 17. A method of transferring firstdata wirelessly between a data storage electronic device and anotherelectronic device, the data storage electronic device having a housingwith an outer profile including a stylus portion defining tip, themethod including the steps of: a) a user operating the other electronicdevice to initiate the wireless transfer of the first data from theother electronic device to the data storage electronic device; b) thedata storage electronic device wirelessly receiving the data; c) thedata storage electronic device storing the received data in anon-volatile memory of the data storage electronic device having acapacity of at least 8Mbyte; and d) the user operating the otherelectronic device, or a further electronic device, to initiatetransmission of the first data from the data storage electronic deviceto the other electronic device by which the transmission of the firstdata from the other electronic storage device was initiated; and e) thedata storage electronic device extracting the first data from the memoryand wirelessly transmitting the first data to the other or furtherelectronic device by which transmission was initiated in step (d).